Apparatus for perforating sheet material



Feb. 13, 1968 R. WEISBECK APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG; 6

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. RALPH L. WEISBECK BY Z 1 f Z FIG. 4

ATTORNEYS Feb. 13, 1968 R. WEISBECK APPARATU S FOR PERFORATING SHEET MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1964 FIG. 2

INVENTOR RALPH L. WEISBECK ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,368,436 APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING SHEET MATERIAL Ralph L. Weisbeck, Cheektowaga, N.Y., assignor to Unipunch Products, Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 407,662 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-140) This invention relates to apparatus for accurately perforating holes in sheet material thereby to provide pilot or guide holes in a templet such as the templet M or templet Ml of my prior Patent No. 2,649,157 issued Aug. 18, 1953, in which I provide pilot or guide holes such as those illustrated at H in by prior patent just mentioned.

In the past, there has been very limited perforating of sheet material in the production of templets. It has been considered more satisfactory to drill such holes because of lack of adequate method and apparatus for conveniently and accurately punching such pilot or guide holes. The Wales Patent No. 2,623,419 issued Dec. 30, 1952, clearly explains to anyone skilled in the art the past practice of accurately locating and drilling such pilot or guide holes in templets. Until my invention as described hereinafter, the apparatus and method described in the Wales Patent No. 2,623,419 has been considered the most acceptable practice for manufacturing templets.

It is one object of my invention to provide more satisfactory apparatus for accurately perforating pilot or guide holes in templets.

It is an important object of my invention to provide suitable apparatus for accurately perforating pilot or guide holes in templets, the cost of which is only a fraction of present known satisfactoryapparatus for fulfilling the purpose.

It is a significant object of my invention to provide apparatus suitable for utilization in conjunction with a common punch press for satisfactorily and accurately perforating pilot or guide holes in a templet.

It is another object of my invention to provide greatly simplified apparatus for fulfilling the above described objects.

It is a further significant object of my invention to provide a novel construction generally of the above described nature including an axially adjustable punch.

It is another object of my invention to provide a novel apparatus of the above described nature including means releasably normally maintaining the punch and stripper unit in an elevated position.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel apparatus of the above described noature including a work table and magnetic means for releasably locking the work piece or templet in oriented position relative to the punch and die.

It is a further important object of my invention to provide apparatus generally of the above described nature including a stripper sleeve having a cut away portion facilitating orientation of the work piece relative to the punch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of the above described nature including a slidable pilot pin in the punch which may be viewed at the cut away portion of the sleeve for facilitating orientation of the work piece relative to the punch.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be 3,368,436 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 particularly set forth in the claims and will be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top planar view of one embodiment of my invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view with parts broken away generally taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the lower end of my novel stripper sleeve and punch shown with parts in the same relative positions as FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged portions of the cross-sectional FIG. 3 view illustrating the lower end of my novel stripper sleeve and punch in two positions subsequent in operation of my apparatus to the FIGS. 3 and 4 position and just prior to perforation of the templet.

With reference to the drawings and more specifically FIG. 2, I provide a combination of elements suitable for use under a common punch press for accurately locating and perforating pilot or guide holes in templets. My apparatus generally comprises a templet supporting work table 10 supported on a bed 12 of any common punch press; also I provide what is commonly known in the art as a C-frame punching assembly or unitary punch and die perforating assembly generally indicated by the numeral 14. C-frame assembly 14 generally defines a C configuration including an upper arm 16 (FIG. 3) and a lower arm 18. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a floor or base plate 20 of table 10 has a vertical bore 22 receiving a pin 24 rigidly mounted in the lower surface of the lower arm 18 of the C-frame assembly 14. Although not illustrated, there is a hold-down bolt at the right-hand end of lower arm 18 which rigidly attaches the C-frame 14 to the base plate 20. In this manner, the C-frame assembly is made removable from the work table 10 and may be replaced by alternative C-frames of the hereinafter described construction having various size punches or preferably the punch and die may be replaced by ones of selected size and the same C-frame assembly 14 remounted on the work table 10. It will be further understood that my invention may be constructed in a manner so that the punch and die may be quickly replaced without the necessity of removing the C-frame from the work table.

The work table 10 and attached C-fr-ame assembly 14 are positioned on the bed 12 of a punch press so that a punch and stripper assembly generally indicated by the numeral 26 described more in detail hereinafter, is properly positioned under the ram of a punch press diagrammatically illustrated by the vertical arrow 28.

The work table 10 includes a pair of vertical side supports or walls 30 and 32 rigidly mounted on the base 20 in spaced relationship defining a channel in which the C-frame 14 is mounted. Each of the vertical side supports 30 and 32 rigidly carry spaced table top portions 34 and 36 respectivel which are adapted for supporting a templet work piece 38 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in substantially horizontal positions. A die button 40 mounted in lower arm 14 of lower arm 18 of C-frame 14 has an upper surface and cutting edge lying in coplanar relationship with the upper surfaces of the spaced table top portions 34 and 36 for supporting a portion of the templet.

My novel combination includes a magnet 42 of known construction having an on-off switch 44 effective electrically for magnetizing and de-magnetizing the magnet 42 when rotated respectively between vertical on and horizontal off positions. Or, magnet 42 may be me chanically operated by providing a rotatable permanent magnetic core which is rotated by the switch 44 between a vertical on position and horizontal off position. Magnet 42 i rigidly mounted in a channel provided in a supporting block 46 in turn rigidly mounted on its lower surface to the upper surface of the work table base 20 and on the left-hand side as viewed in FIG. 2 to the righthand vertical surface of the vertical side support 30.

Magnet 42 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 defines a V- channel providing a pair of spaced horizontal upper surfaces 48 lying in coplanar relationship with the upper surface of the die button 40 and the spaced table top portions 34 and 36. When magnetized, magnet 42 is adapted to maintain the templet work piece 38 in selected oriented positions in accordance with my hereinafter described method of perforating. When the switch 44 is in the vertical on position shown in broken line at 44A of FIG. 3, the magnet 42 is effective to retain the templet work piece 38 in a rigid position relative to the work table and C-frame 14. After perforation of the templet work piece in the manner hereinafter described, the magnet switch 44 is rotated in a clockwise direction 90 to the horizontal off position of FIGS. 1 and 2 thereby demagnetizing the magnet 42 and in turn releasing the work piece 38 permitting the operator to move the work piece to the next position for perforation thereof. Thus, the magnet is effective for releasably retaining the templet work piece in selected positions.

I shall now describe the details of m novel punching and stripping unit generally indicated by the numeral 26 by which I fulfill the novel perforating method described thereafter.

In a usual manner, the die button 40 is maintained in a semi-circular vertical recess 50 formed in the lefthand end wall as viewed in FIG. 3 of lower arm 18 by a die clamping block 52 and a pair of horizontally disposed screws 54. In the normal manner, a slug discharge chute 56 is formed in the lower arm 18 through which the performated slugs are discharged at the forward or left end of the lower arm 18. I provide the usual vertical cylindrical bore 58 in the upper arm 16 adapted to receive a novel cylindrical stripper sleeve 60 in sliding relationship therewith and in vertical axial alignment with the die button 40. Stripper sleeve 60 has a cylindrical bore receiving a hollow cylindrical punch 62 in sliding relationship. Standard spring-clip pin 64 (FIG. 2) is provided for keying my novel stripper sleeve and punch together. Spring clip pin 64 includes a pin 66 (FIG. 3) traversing a horizontal bore extending transversely through the stripper sleeve 60 at a vertically extending flat 68 formed in the cylindrical sidewall of the punch 62. This keying arrangement limits the travel of the punch 62 within the stripper sleeve 60 and prevents relative rotation therebetween. There is a spring clip 70 attached to one end of pin 66 and adapted to be retained in a peripheral groove of an annular flange 72 of the stripper sleeve 60 thereby to secure the pin 66 in the sleeve 60 in keyed relationship to the flat 68 of punch 62.

A flat 74 is formed in the outer cylindrical sidewall of stripper sleeve 60 on the right-hand side as viewed in FIG. 3 adapted to mate in keyed relationship with a retainer plate 76 seated in the upper surface of the upper arm 16 and retained therein by screw 78. Retainer plate 76 limits travel of the stripper sleeve 60 and prevents rotation thereof, thereby limiting the upward movement and preventing rotation of the entire punch and stripper unit 26.

On the opposite or left-hand side of the stripper sleeve, I provide another fiat 84 in the cylindrical sidewall. Extending horizontally through a threaded hole in upper arm 16 from the left end as viewed in FIG. 3 to the vertical cylindrical bore 58, I provide a detent 80 having a horizontal adjustment screw 81 for adjusting the compression on a spring 83 provided internally thereof. A ball 82 of detent 80 bears on stripper sleeve flat 84. Detent 80 functions to hold the stripper sleeve 60 and the entire punch and stripper unit 26 in an elevated position retracted from the upper surface of the templet work piece 38 except when sufiicient downward force manually or otherwise is exerted on the punch and stripper unit 26 to overcome the spring force exerted by the detent 80. Thus, the detent provides releasable means yieldingly retaining the punch and stripper unit 26 in an elevated position.

The upper end of punch 62 is surrounded by the usual compression stripper spring supported on annular flange 72 of stripper sleeve 60. The upper end of punch 62 is threaded at 88 and received in a threaded hole provided centrally of an adjustment knob 90. Adjustment knob 90 has a vertical cylindrical groove 92 extending from the lower surface thereof substantially to the top of the adjustment knob 90 for receiving and aligning the upper end of stripper spring 86. It will be understood that when the knob 90 is rotated, the clip pin 66 prevents rotation of the punch 62 within the sleeve 60 and the retainer plate 76 prevents rotation of the stripper sleeve 60 relative to the arm 16, thereby permitting axial adjustment of the punch 62 responsive to rotation of the adjustment knob 90. Adjustment knob 90 when turned in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 93 of FIG. 1, adjusts the punch 62 axially downward.

Punch 62 is provided with a cylindrical bore extending coaxially through its entire length and comprising a smaller in diameter portion 94 at the lower end thereof and a larger in diameter portion 96 throughout the remaining upper end thereof. The upper end of larger diameter bore 96 is threaded to receive an adjustment screw 98 for adjusting the tension on a compression spring seated in larger bore portion 96 for biasing a pilot pin 102 in a downward position illustrated in FIG. 3. A filler dowel or pin 99 is interposed between spring 100 and adjustment screw 98. The shank of pilot pin 102 is mounted and guided in the smaller diameter bore portion 94 while an annular head thereof is mounted and guided in the larger diameter bore portion 96.

A very important aspect of my invention is a cut out portion 101 of the sleeve 60 (FIGS. 2 and 4) at the lower terminal portion thereof for a purpose described hereinafter.

I shall now describe my novel process for perforating the templet work piece 38 with my above described novel device.

A hole to be perforated is illustrated in broken line at 104. According to my method, a center of the hole 104 is determined from engineering drawings and is layed out on the templet workpiece 38 by bluing at least the upper surface of the templet workpiece 38, thereafter locating the center by scribing a pair of lines 106 and 108 intersecting at the center and disposed at a 90 angle to each other. Although not essential to fulfill my invention in its simplest form as will be understood from the following description, I may then scribe a circle 110 having the same circumference as the inside circumference of stripper sleeve 60, which is illustrated in FIG. 4 by the short vertical broken lines extending between the circle 110 and the inside sidewalls of the stripper sleeve 60. I then take a center punch and position it at the center of the intersecting lines 106, 108 and center punch or tap a small conical indentation 112.

The templet work piece 38, now being properly scribed with center lines 106, 108, circle 110 and center punched at 112, is then placed on the work table 10. Initially, the operator turns the adjustment knob 90 to adjust the punch 62 and pilot pin 102 until it is spaced slightly above the templet Work piece 38 to the work piece 38 may be shifted to selected positions relative to the punch without being scratched. The extent of adjustment depends upon the thickness of the work piece 38.

It will be understood that in the preferred embodiment both the pilot pin 102 and sleeve 60, coactively mating with the indentation 112 and scribed circle 110 respectively, serve as means for orientation of the punch and work piece; however, it will be understood that either the pilot pin or sleeve could, in the alternative, serve satisfactorily as orientation means, the pilot pin being the preferred alternative.

At FIG. 2, I have illustrated the punch 62 and pilot pin 102 in an elevated unadjusted position in which view the distance between the lower working or cutting end or edge of the punch and working or stripping end of stripper sleeve is indicated by the vertical arrows 103. The knob 90 is rotated in the clockwise direction 93 of FIG. 1 until the lower cutting end of the punch and working end of pilot pin 102 are in the FIG. 3 position in closer proximity of the upper surface of work piece 38. Once the pilot pin is adjusted to this position for a given thickness of work piece 38, it need not be adjusted thereafter by knob 90. It will be noted from the vertical arrows 105 of FIG. 3, that the cutting end of the punch 62 is still slightly elevated from the working end of the stripper sleeve 60 in order to assure satisfactory stripping after the punching operation (a %4II1CI1 difference is satisfactory).

The center indentation 112 of the hole to be punched is brought into substantially axial alignment with the center axis 113 of the pilot pin 102 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 position. The operator embraces the vertical cylindrical face of the knob 90 with his fingers or hand; it is significant that the vertical cylindrical sidewall of knob 90 is of sufficient distance coaxially with the punch to permit the operators fingers or hand to embrace the knob below the upper surface of the knob, thereby to avoid the danger of having his hand under the ram of the press. He then exerts sufficient downward force of the punch and stripper unit 26 to overcome the detent 80. By controlling the downward movement of the unit 26 with one hand and position of the work piece 38 with the other hand, the operator guides the pilot pin into the conical indentation 112 as shown in FIG. 5. In this position, the work piece 38 is in proper alignment with the punch; however, as a secondary or alternative manner of checking alignment of the work piece relative to the punch, the operator may then lower the unit 26 to the FIG. 6 position in which the inside circumference of the sleeve 60 is aligned with the scribed circle 110 and all but the working end of pilot pin 102 is retracted into the punch.

A lower portion 107 of punch 62 which is received in the die is preferably smaller in diameter than the upper portion guided in sleeve 60 to facilitate viewing of the inside circumference of the sleeve 60 through out out portion 101, while being aligned with scribed circle 110.

The cut away portion 101 of the sleeve 60 primarily permits the operator in a standing position to conveniently axially align the conical indentation 112 with the pilot pin 102 as it is actuated downwardly to be received therein.

After the punch and stripper unit 26 have been moved to either the FIG. 5 or FIG. '6 position in which the work piece is properly aligned for punching, the operator then moves the magnet switch 44 from the off position of FIG. 3 shown in solid line, to the on position shown in broken line in FIG. 3 at 44A, thereby locking the Work piece 38 in the selected position.

Thereafter, the operator actuates the ram of the press, diagrammatically illustrated by the arrow 28, to force the punch through the work piece. Then the perforating pressure is released and the stripper spring 86 lifts the punch from the work piece with sufiicient force to strip it from the work while the lower surface of the stripper guide 60 is still engaging the work piece in the normal manner 6 for punching and stripping. The unit 26 is then in the FIG. 6 position once again.

The operator then manually lifts the punch and stripper unit from the FIG. 6 position to the FIG. 3 position by lifting the knob 90. In this position, the detent again retains the unit 26 in the elevated position. In the preferred and more convenient manner, the operator may simply lift up on the work piece 38 thereby elevating the punch and stripper unit 26 to the FIG. 3 position.

The operator moves the switch 44 from an on position to an otf position, thereby demagnetizing the magnet 42 to permit the work piece 38 to be moved to a second position in which the same operation is repeated. It will be understood that the center indentation 112 (scribed circle if desired) and the intersecting lines 10 6 and 108 are preferably provided at all selected positions of perforating prior to placing the work piece 38 on the work table 34 to enable the operator to repeat my process of perforating guide holes in templets in rapid succession.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of mechanism of my invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made therein, particularly in the form and relation of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a punch and die cutting assembly, a supporting arm, a punch and stripper sleeve mounted and guided in a bore of said arm in axial alignment with a die of said assembly, stripper spring means carried on said sleeve and surrounding said punch, an enlarged knob means mounted on the top of said punch and overlying the top of said spring and having outer sidewalls extending down towards the stripper sleeve for axial adjustment of said punch, orientation means internally on said sleeve adapted for mating with markings on a workpiece to be punched thereby to permit orientation of said workpiece in selected positions relative to said unit, and means coactive between said unit and arm permitting axial adjustment of said sleeve down to said workpiece.

2. In a punch and die cutting assembly, a work table top supporting a workpiece over a die, said workpiece having orientation markings thereon suitable for orientation with the hereinafter claimed stripper sleeve, a supporting arm overlying and connected to said table top, a punch and stripper sleeve mounted and guided in a bore of said arm in axial alignment with said die, stripper spring means carried on said sleeve and surrounding said punch, an enlarged knob means mounted on the top of said punch and overlying the top of said spring and having outer sidewalls extending down towards the stripper sleeve for axial adjustment of said punch, and orienta tion means internally on said stripper sleeve adapted for mating with markings on said workpiece thereby to permit orientation of said workpiece in selected positions relative to said unit.

3. In a punch and die cutting assembly, a supporting arm member, a stripper sleeve member mounted and guided in a bore of said arm in axial alignment with a die of said assembly, a punch member mounted and guided axially in said sleeve, stripper spring means carried on said sleeve and surrounding said punch and an enlarged knob means mounted on the top of said punch and overlying the top of said spring and having outer sidewalls extending down towards the stripper sleeve for axial adjustment of said punch.

4. In a punch and die cutting assembly, a supporting arm member, a stripper sleeve member mounted and guided in a bore of said arm in axial alignment with a die of said assembly, a punch member mounted and guided axially in said sleeve, an enlarged hand operated knob means mounted on the top of said punch and having sidewalls extending a suflicient distance coaxially of the punch for axial adjustment of said punch to permit embracement by human fingers below the upper surface of said knob when received under the ram of a press.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Vankirk 83-522 ONeill 83-686 Derry 83-563 X Bennett 83-520 Furber 83-563 X Britts et a1. 83-522 Hyatt 83-136 Wales et al 83-559 X Taylor 83-140 Schott 83-140 Fuller 83-136 X Sorchy 269-8 Grosh 83-685 X ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primaly Examiner.

1O WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Examiner.

F. T. YOST, Assistant Examiner. 

3. IN A PUNCH AND DIE CUTTING ASSEMBLY, A SUPPORTING ARM MEMBER, A STRIPPER SLEEVE MEMBER MOUNTED AND GUIDED IN A BORE OF SAID ARM IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH A DIE OF SAID ASSEMBLY, A PUNCH MEMBER MOUNTED AND GUIDED AXIALLY IN SAID SLEEVE, STRIPPER SPRING MEANS CARRIED ON SAID SLEEVE AND SURROUNDING SAID PUNCH AND AN ENLARGED KNOB MEANS MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF SAID PUNCH AND OVERLYING THE TOP OF SAID SPRING AND HAVING OUTER SIDEWALLS EXTENDING DOWN TOWARDS THE STRIPPER SLEEVE FOR AXIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SAID PUNCH. 